Proton therapy is a form of local oncological treatment which achieves a therapeutic effect by using protons. Its state-of-the-art technology includes intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT). Compared to photons, which are standardly used in radiation treatment, protons exhibit a more adequate dose distribution when irradiating tumors thanks to a phenomenon called the Bragg peak. This phenomenon enables the delivery of the majority of the dose to the tumor while minimizing the dose directed towards the surrounding healthy tissue. This can be used as an advantage, especially with head and neck tumors, which, from an oncological point of view, have always posed a challenge in treatment due to the proximity of radiation-sensitive structures. Previous clinical experiences with proton therapy in the treatment of head and neck carcinoma have shown promising results in terms of reducing toxicity, such as mucositis, xerostomia and dysphagia, while achieving comparable clinical outcomes to photon irradiation. However, the high cost of proton devices, limited knowledge of late toxicities and uncertainties regarding the range of protons inside the body currently limit the wider use of this type of treatment. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the possibilities of proton therapy in the treatment of head and neck carcinoma and provide a comparison with the current gold standard treatment – intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).